The Poor Theatre

By Rupsha

Term associated with Jerzy Grotowski and the influential Laboratory Theatre. He called his theatre poor because it dispensed with theatrical trappings and the technological resources of ‘rich’ theatre.

Grotowski made the actor’s voice and body the key focus of the performance. Only still light sources were used; the only masks were the actors’ faces; costume was nondescript; vocal effects replaced instrumental music and sound ‘off’; the auditorium became a close private space divided in various different ways to allow the maximum contact and exchange between the people who were performing and the audience. Grotowski was seeking something beyond drama. He worked to develop physical and emotional responses so that ‘impulse and reaction are concurrent’.

He moved beyond the early influence of Stanislavski towards a much more ritualized intensity. At moments of shock or terror, he argued, human beings use ‘rhythmically articulated signs’ and start to sing and dance. ‘A sign, not a common gesture, is the elementary integer of expression for us’. Grotowski wanted to explore moments of extreme pressure and moved naturally towards ‘archaic situations’ which were expressed in myths and often involving taboo. In a world where myths are myths and nottruths, we must try to assume myth’s ‘ill-fitting skin’ he said. When the theatre confronts us with terrible situations where ‘the life mask cracks and falls away’ it can expose an ‘intimate layer’ which brings us back to common human truths. The targets of poor theatre are reminiscent of the theories of Artaud. But Artaud aimed to synthesize the work of the actor with ‘rich’ technology of light, costume and noise. The writings of Nietzsche, Jung and Durkheim are also quite often invoked as influences on Grotowski, but the practical work of Stanislavski, Meyerhold and the mime Marcel Marceau seem to be much more important. The idea of poor theatre was very influential, both in the art theatre (e.g. Peter Brook) and in alternative theatre. From it Eugenio Barba developed his own theories that led to the notion of third theatre.

Acting through focus and awareness -His actors were so vocally and physically skilled that they could communicate clearly through sounds and movements. The actors would create an inner harmony and a peace of mind which would keep them healthy in both their mind and their body.
The Grotowski actors believe that acting is a way to look for self knowledge & awareness. Their style of training taught them to how they could break free of limitations and realise what their full potential is.

Physical Training -His actors were very physically skilled. They developed a technique of movement which enabled them to control every single move which they made, even the smallest in every detail. It’s our bodies which ex- press everything about us.
Everything we think and feel is expressed through our bodies and everything weexperience is felt through our bodies. He gave actors physical skills for fully expressing their imagina- tions and their personalities.

Working in silence.- Grotowski stated that an actor must start off by not doing anything! He believed that if a group of actors could remain completely still for several minutes without any
disturbances, whatsoever they’d be able to concentrate much more intensely and use it as a creative passage.

Human Contact- Grotowski believed in true contact between humans. He believed that the real harmony in human rela- tionships only developed when people really learned to look at each other and listen to each other. He wanted actors to be much more aware and alert of the impact which they had on others.

Voice- Vocal training was essential in his ‘poor theatre’ method. They focused their voices as though they were coming from different parts of their bodies. They used full registers of their voices from very high to very low. He emphasised clarity and used techniques , like singing, reciting poetry and even chanting. All ac- tors were so vocally strong that they were able to recite atmospheric sounds of the world such as me- chanics, animals, thunder and so on. In Grotowski’s opinions and his teachings, the voice is an 
instrument.

Evoking silence -Grotowski stated that an actor must begin by doing nothing. This is called “creative passivity” . He believed that if a group of actors could stay completely still and silent for a long time, with no outside noises or disturbances, then they’d start to experience an internal silence as well. By making this silence happen, , they could learn to concentrate intensely.

Truth -Grotowski warned his actors to avoid what he called 'the beautiful lie' , both on stage and in their everyday lives. By this he meant doing something just because it looked good or because it was what people expected them to do.

Transformation- In his 'poor theatre', Grotowski always aimed for the easiest possible usage of Special effects, lighting, costumes and effects. This forced the actors to use all of their skills to transform empty spaces and simple objects into a whole range of imaginative worlds. Symbolism was very crucial l in this form of theatre. In the theatre of poverty, the only important elements were the actors themselves and their relationship with the live audience. Often the actors were in the audience's personal spaces, even close enough to touch them. Grotowski arranged the space he was using so that the audience would be completely involved in the theatre as possible.

Memory -Like Brecht, Grotowski put a lot of emphasis on the use of emotion memory to recall an experience and rec- reate the feeling which went with the memory. He demanded total honesty and commitment from his actors in their use of emotion memory. They were meant to use all their memories, even the very personal and/or private ones. This made their performances genuine. Through this process, actors would come closer to knowing the truth about themselves. It is an important path to self-knowledge. Grotowski demanded total commitment and belief in every activity, even the simplest exercise.